Org.one long-read sequencing of the Florida Nutmeg Tree (Torreya taxifolia)

The Florida Nutmeg Tree (Torreya taxifolia) is a critically endangered conifer whose global distribution is limited to the Appalachicola river bluffs in Florida and extreme southwestern Georgia. Populations of the tree are severely declining due to threats from an invasive fungal pathogen (Fusarium torreyae) that forms cankers and kills the tree before it is reproductively viable. We aim to utilize the genome to lay the groundwork for applied conservation genomics and breeding for this imperiled tree. The sample was collected by the Atlanta Botanic Garden at a University of Georgia germplasm garden for the species. A single nut was dissected and genomic DNA extracted from haploid megagametophyte tissue. Whole genomic DNA was purified and sequenced with an Oxford Nanopore PromethIon.